With breeding complete, and the farm up and running fairly solidly we took a couple of days off and drove 3 hours east to Myrtle Beach,... a place I have enjoyed for family vacations since I was a kid.  Even there I wasn’t able to get away from Carp,... I actually enjoyed seeing them there.  These Doitsu and Wagoi Carp swim in the ponds at ‘Broadway At The Beach’,... Myrtle Beach, SC.

Here the massive swarm climbs over each other to get to a few fish pellets, dispensed for .25 from a bubble gum machine.

When I arrived back to the farm to feed my own Carp, and do other chores I arrived to a massive summer storm, with 70 mph wing gusts, and heavy rain.   I waited this storm out to finish my chores, and to check for damage and power failures.  The power to Pond #7 was out,... but it wasn’t because of the storm.  When I went over to check the situation and the power circuit closely I found an odd situation,... an incredible King Snake was tangled in the bird netting of this pond, and in thrashing around to get out it had unplugged the power to the aeration and circulation of the pond.

Anyone who has seen my video series ‘On The Farm In Carolina‘ knows my interest in wildlife runs deep.  Reptiles in particular have been a passion my entire life.  So, I got the flashlight and some scissors, and in the dark and rain I stayed and cut this King Snake free.  This was a large snake, and it knotted itself up really good twisting around.

After about 20 minutes of careful snipping and clipping it was free,... and now more concerned with me than with the earlier stress of the netting,... wrapping tightly around my arm showing why it’s part of the ‘Constrictor’ family of North American snakes.

I unwound the King of American snakes from my arm, and set it in the wet forest to go its own way,... while I went my own way and finished my chores.